I’m pleased to offer this update on recent activities and college initiatives. As always, please reach out to me with any thoughts or questions.
Enrollment / Ellucian Implementation
Summer and fall enrollment is tracking behind last year at this time and below budget projections for the current fiscal year. As of June 25, enrollment is down 4 percent in FTE for summer and 3.5 percent FTE for fall. We projected a decline of 1.65 percent for the current year, so please continue to do everything possible to assist students seeking to enroll.
Fall semester enrollment events and activities will be held throughout the summer, and the next summer session begins on July 1 with 150 courses available, including 50 online. This year, we will again be hosting a series of Instant Admission events prior to the start of the fall semester and also adding a July 22 Campus Visit Day and Instant Admission Day at TEC-SMART to coincide with the popular Taste of Malta event on July 16. If you have a suggestion for improving enrollment during the summer months, please contact Vice President Louis Coplin.
After reviewing several products related to increasing efficiency in enrollment management and advisement, I am pleased to report that, based on campus feedback, the college has contracted with Ellucian to implement Ellucian Mobile, CRM Recruit, CRM Advise and Ellucian Analytics. The products will significantly enhance our ability to communicate with students and include a mobile app and text messaging which will be integrated with the automated communications platform. These projects are being led by Kathy Petley and Sarah Garrand. Initial work has begun, including the identification of implementation teams. Updates will be provided as the projects progress.
International Recruitment
In January, I shared that I met with alumnus Joe Mara and The Honorable Henry B. Howard, the Consul from the Miami Consulate of the Philippines, about potential educational partnerships in the Philippines. In July, several representatives from the college, including Regina LaGatta, Teacher Preparation Department Chair Toni Howard and Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Judy DiLorenzo, will visit the island of Samar in the Philippines to continue talks. During the trip, they will meet with officials regarding Dental Assisting and Teacher Preparation programs, visit several schools, and present information to hundreds of parents, teachers and administrators.
College Budget and Strategic Planning
On Tuesday, June 11, the Rensselaer County Legislature approved the college’s 2019-2020 operating budget proposal, totaling just over $98 million and anticipating a 1.65 percent decline in enrollment compared to the current year. The budget includes a modest $75 per semester increase in tuition – from $2,325 to $2,400 for state residents – making our rate $73 below the statewide average for the 30 community colleges.
In my remarks on the budget before the Legislature, I highlighted Hudson Valley’s importance to Rensselaer County and New York State. According to a recent economic impact statement commissioned by the college, Hudson Valley’s students, faculty, staff and alumni in Rensselaer County added nearly 200 million dollars in income to the county economy in the 2017-18 academic year, which is about 2.4 percent of the county’s total gross regional product. The full economic impact report will be released at the beginning of the fall semester.
As reported earlier, the college’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Strategic Plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 28. As the Strategic Plan Steering Committee begins to develop the implementation plan, your continued involvement will be extremely important. Thank you for your ongoing participation.
Leadership
I was pleased to announce a number of additional internal promotions and appointments recently, along with a realignment of academic departments within three schools. Please take a moment to review the personnel announcement here. Though the academic reorganization officially begins on the first day of the fall semester, September 3, deans and department chairs will begin transitioning to the new structure over the summer.
In addition, last night the Board of Trustees approved Louis Coplin as vice president of student affairs following a period of time serving as an interim in that role.
Summer Initiatives
We have begun to implement several new academic initiatives that are focused on preparing incoming students for the rigor of college-level courses, as well as acclimating them to the college environment. This summer, we will offer a free six-week MATH 120 course and a two-week Head Start on Math workshop that are both aimed at first semester students who may need to brush up on basic math skills.
Later this month, the college will be hosting a Student Services information Day, which will help students, parents and families learn how to support their new college student. In July and August, the New Student Orientation Office will host another new initiative – Passport to Success – a series of sessions to help new students learn strategies and understand expectations for success as a college student.
Workforce Development
The college has announced a new grant from the American Association of Community Colleges to develop and run a targeted apprenticeship program for GLOBALFOUNDRIES employees. Hudson Valley will work to develop a stackable electronics technician curriculum that can be delivered to employees at the Malta-based plant and at the college’s TEC-SMART facility. Many thanks to Dean of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives Penny Hill for spearheading this grant application. We hope to announce another significant workforce development grant award in the coming month.
In addition, the college has added another company to its Start-Up NY roster – Passport for Good, a software solution that captures community engagement for students, schools and community organizations. Passport for Good’s software provides verified data on extracurricular experience for student transcripts and gives schools a robust data tool and application to measure, encourage, and improve student engagement.
End-of-Year Ceremonies
Finally, I want to share my appreciation with everyone who was involved in the college’s many end-of-year ceremonies devoted to celebrating student achievement. I recognize the tremendous effort and time that goes into planning these special events, I sincerely thank all of our faculty and staff members who made them possible. In particular, the college’s Commencement ceremony – my first at Hudson Valley – was a highlight, and I was so pleased to hear many positive comments from our students, families and guests on the manner in which we celebrated our graduates.
I was also delighted to see many members of the college community at departmental events, as well as our Student Honors and Awards ceremony and Faculty and Staff Honors Convocation. Thank you again for your support and participation.
To wrap up our end-of-year events, the Educational Opportunity Center will hold its 53rd annual graduation ceremony in the McDonough Field House this Thursday. The EOC Commencement brings together students who have completed the EOC’s vocational, High School Equivalency, ESL and college prep programs during the past year.
Published: Wed, 26 Jun 2019 12:20:42 +0000 by r.ramsammy